Speaking-tube



(No mam.)

E. T. ORNE.

SPEAKING TUBE.

No. 425,046. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARD T. ORNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPEAKING-TUBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,046, dated April 8, 1890. Application filed July 22, 1889. Serial No. 318,257. (No model.)

.To all 1071/0772, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. ORNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Iinprovement in Speaking-Tubes, which is fully set forth in the following' specification, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation with part of the cap,mouth-piece, and tube broken vaway in front, the dotted lines showing the cap opened to its limit, with the lever pressing against the stop; and Fig. 2, a cross-section taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 1, and showing' the method of attaching the level' to the tube.

Like letters refer to like parts in both figures of the drawings.

My improvement relates to speaking-tubes especially adapted for use in Wholesale houses, manufactories, hotels, and in places where the communication is required by tubes between the different points or floors; and it is more especially intended to be used with electric call-bells instead of whistles, although it is not confined especially to tubes used with electric bells instead of whistles, and may be used with a whistle.

My improvement consists in combining a spring and level' withv the month -piece and cap of a speaking-tube, so that the cap will automatically close when the person using it is through speaking, and combining a spring and lever with the cap and stop, as shown in the drawings, and various other combinations, as hereinafter described.

Heretofore in systems of speaking-tubes having a large number of stations in one line at different points or iloors great inconvenience has been experieneed from the fact that the user of the tube would neglect to close the cap when through speaking, and when another station was opened difficulty was had in conversing with the person at the newly-opened station, 011 account of there being one or more stations opened on theline. My invention is intended to remedy this defeet by causing the cap to automatically close when the user is through with the speakingtube.

A represents a section of a speaking-tube,

and B a month-piece, both made in the usual form.

Cisa cap. (Shown closed in Fig. 1.) The cap C is usually oval in its form, with its convexity increased toward the center, making a boss or bulPS-eye a in the center, which serves as a stop for the lever D, as hereinafter den scribed.

l) is a fiange or rim of cap O, shutting or closing over the edges of the month-piece B. It is evident that any projeotion of or on the cap C which will answer the purpose of a stop or shoulder for the lever D may be used; and l do not con'line myself to the particular form shown in the drawings.

D is a lever, constructed of metal, hinged to the speaking-tube A near the junction of the tube A with the month-piece B, and (lirectly under the center of the hinge O. It is bent or circular in its form and extends from the tubeA to the lange bof the cap O, against which it is caused to press by means of a spring, as hereinafter stated. The upper or free end of the lever is so shaped as to be adapted to engage with the stop a and prevent the cap O from opening farther than the stop and about to the point indieated by the dotted lines shown in Fig. 1.

E is a spring, shown in the drawings as a coiled-wire spring, the purpose of which is to so operate the lever D as to cause it to automatically close the cap C on the monthpiece B. The spring E is secured at one end to the lever D at its center or just below the center, being seeured substantially as shown in the drawings, and extends up vertically, or nearly so, and in, a Vertical plane with the lever D to the center of the hinge c and at a point where the hinge c is secured to the month-piece B, or it may be above or below this point; but it must be so seeured as to exert its force on lever D in such a manner as to cause the lever to move in a radial line from the center 01' near the center of the hinge c toward the center of the cap and until it meets the stop or shoulder a, when it is stopped. This spring may be secured in any suitable manner both to the lever D and mouth-piece B or hinge c.

The method of operation of my invention is as followsz The electric bell. indic-ates the IOO person Wanted, Who opens the eap to the limitl of the stop, holding' it at that point until through speaking, When the action of the spring' E on the lever D will cause the lever to press On the eap B and close it` holding` it closed.

Having thus deseribed my invention, what I elaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In aspeaking-tube, a month-piece,v a eap, and a stop to limit the throw of the eap, in combination with a lever pivoted at one end to the tube, and a spring` which eauses the free end of the lever to press against the Cap, snbstantially as an d for the purposes speeified.

2. In a speaking'-tube, the tube A, monthpieee B, and cap O for elosing' the monthpieee, said oap being eonstrueted With a projeetion on the outer surface to form a stop or shoulder a, in combination With the bent lever D, hingedat one end to the tube A and having' its free end so eonstruoted as to engage With the shoulder a, and the spring E, at-taohed to the level' D, to automatically elose the oap O on the mouth-pieoe ]-},substantially as and for the purposes speeified.

EDWARD 'l`. ORNE. lVitnesses:

ALICE MoIvnR, II. II. TALooTT. 

